Chapter 2321: The Most Important Gain

"Weian City's trouble this time is no small matter, but few people know that the golden core of the necrophage beneath Flying Arrival Peak is causing mischief." He Lingchuan paused, then said, "At least the Frostleaf National Preceptor got one thing right—this situation is tangled and complex."

The blood demon let out a hey-hey: "A necrophage—why would it need two brain cores?"

As a half-demon necrophage and the most powerful National Preceptor of Begia, he secretly sneaked into Cangyan to steal the golden core—this just doesn't add up no matter how you look at it.

"The golden core is of little use in our hands, at most just a magical artifact, but in the necrophage's hands, perhaps..." He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly, then he said, "Once we confirm Frostleaf's true identity, we will find that his origins and his current power are severely mismatched."

"The Ferry Ghost Mother is merely a lower deity among the Spirit Void multitude, usually obeying stronger heavenly demons, with little autonomy; as her child in the mortal realm, Frostleaf already holds the position of National Preceptor in Begia, even overthrowing Qingyang, making him one of the highest-ranking figures in Spirit Void City, so much so that even the Demon Emperor fears him."

He Lingchuan said solemnly, "Frankly, to rise to such a position from such origins, Frostleaf is certainly not merely brilliantly intelligent. The dangers and complexities of the Begian court exceed those of Yaoguo by a thousandfold, and in recent years the conflict between the Demon Emperor and the heavenly gods has intensified further; Frostleaf, caught between them, still maneuvers with ease, balancing public and private affairs—I must admit I admire him. Know this: Frostleaf could hardly have earned the Demon Emperor's trust."

To ride the surging undercurrents of Spirit Void City, only those who have lived through it know how terrifying it is.

"What use is it? Frostleaf can only strut his stuff in the mortal realm—how dare he bare his fangs before the heavenly gods?" The blood demon cackled, "The life of the Ferry Ghost spawn is bound to its mother; even if Frostleaf is formidable, once the Ferry Ghost Mother dies, he too must die in resentment."

"Low-born mother, noble son—this must be Frostleaf's greatest pain point."

The blood demon agreed: "Heh-heh, who wouldn't feel that pain?"

"To strive half a life, nearly reach the pinnacle of mortal power, yet have one's life in another's hands—this feeling must be utterly dreadful." He Lingchuan mused, "A grass rope cannot bind a lion; if I were Frostleaf, I would certainly not bow my head to fate. I have a premonition: whatever Frostleaf does with the golden core, the heavenly demons will surely not like it."

"If the heavenly demons don't like it, I'll be pleased." He gave a faint smile, "So, that golden core might as well be given to him. Then we'll just wait and see."

The blood demon snorted twice:

"Frostleaf not only obtained the golden core, but also caused Weian City so much trouble, and took the opportunity to observe Cangyan's responsiveness, allowing a comprehensive assessment of its overall strength—truly a case of killing three birds with one stone, returning with a full load! We merely exchanged for the news of the 'Yangguan Dao,' and it feels like a poor bargain."

"Seeing others reap great benefits, you feel heartbroken—you truly are no ordinary blood demon." This fellow has lived several thousand years, how can he still be so childish? He Lingchuan laughed, "Actually, whether or not I agree to exchange the golden core, the Hidden God Lord and the news of the 'Yangguan Dao'—Frostleaf will find a way to leak them to me. So this news cannot count as something obtained in exchange."

"Then you gained nothing at all?" The blood demon muttered sullenly, "How did he know you'd come in person?"

"He didn't know. But since he had this opportunity, he told me all the information he thought I should know." Frostleaf is such a person, and also a pure opportunist.

The blood demon snapped: "Then we lost out."

Frostleaf took advantage.

"Why do you bother calculating others' gains and losses?" Easily unbalanced in mind, "One need only manage oneself—learn to keep your own accounts."

The blood demon grumbled: "Your own accounts—this isn't just a case of no profit?"

"Loss and profit follow different algorithms; in Frostleaf's view, the trouble I caused by storming the Heavenly Palace back then far exceeds what he caused me. This act of revenge might even make him think he's come out ahead." He Lingchuan laughed, "But for me, the greatest gain this time, aside from the 'Yangguan Dao' information, is Frostleaf himself."

"Frostleaf himself?"

"Conversing with Frostleaf not only deepens our understanding of his conduct, but also reveals his stance." He Lingchuan continued calmly, "To understand a person, one must not only know what he says, but also grasp why he says it. Frostleaf's betrayal of the Heavenly Palace in itself severely exposes his stance; what secrets he, as National Preceptor and 'Divine Son,' can obtain from the Heavenly Palace reveals his position in Spirit Void City and among the heavenly gods, as well as his distance from the Heavenly Palace and the Demon Emperor!"

"Furthermore, Frostleaf's personal appearance this time is not only for the golden core, but also to speak with me face to face and establish communication." He Lingchuan went on, "In other words, he first tested Cangyan's responsiveness, also venting his feelings about past events, and then developed an inclination toward cooperation with me. You know, even if no actual results are achieved, merely reaching an 'inclination' can still be the most important gain in great-power negotiations. Whether or not future cooperation materializes, such communication is extremely important—just like my exchanges with Naluotian."

He crossed over ten zhang in a single step, regardless of height or depth.

On such a steep Flying Arrival Peak, he tapped his toes a dozen times or so, lightly and nimbly descending.

After reaching flat ground and waiting a little over two more quarters of an hour, the small hill that the Cangyan people had originally been unable to dig through no matter how hard they tried began to sink visibly.

A dull rumbling echoed continuously for over ten li, and the nearby ground trembled without cease.

Such a commotion could not possibly be hidden from nearby people—garrison troops, demons, idlers—all gathered from all directions, marveling endlessly, unaware of what had actually happened.

Anyway, "Flying Arrival Peak is collapsing, collapsing!"

The crowd cheered and leapt: "The Luo River will flow again!"

The garrison commander Weng Xing rushed over, caught sight of He Lingchuan in the crowd, startled, was about to salute, but saw the latter wave his hand and give a slight shake of the head.

He quickly straightened his back and walked to stand beside the Great Emperor.

"The waters of the Bing River will soon arrive—you bring your people to prepare defenses along the banks, don't let the flood sweep away those on shore."

"Yes." Weng Xing received the order and departed.

Just three quarters of an hour later, the center of Flying Arrival Peak sank downward. Amid the cheers of the onlookers, the waters of the Bing River once again flowed into the channel of the Luo River.

Before Flying Arrival Peak, a deep pool had long accumulated; this was equivalent to opening a sluice to release floodwaters—within half a quarter of an hour, the river water surged into the Luo River's channel, beginning to overflow onto the banks.

However, a faint green light rose along the riverbank, that light resembling a giant eel. The floodwaters struck the light, as if blocked by an invisible qi wall, forced to return to the riverbed and rush downstream.

The downstream riverbed was severely lacking in water—this pool of clear water rushing down would soon be leveled out.